too much water?

What the heck...

Today at the doctor, I told her that on my work out days ( which is 6 days a week ) I drink at least 3 liters...

She said she'd be comfortable with anyone drinking 2 liters (being you sit at the desk all day) and about 2 1/2 liters if you're working out at all because... "drinking 3 liters or more is worrysome because of you can develop diabetes (And something else I can't remember)"

she went into saying your kidneys get confused with having to go pee so much. WTF? Has anyone else heard this? For today, I ran 4 miles and did 90minutes of bikram yoga... I cannot see how only drinking 2 1/2 liters can be healthy? Opinions?

I recently took a Human Biology class, where we discussed the healthy benefits of water. One person brought up a story they heard of someone "drowning" because they drink too much water. My teacher went online to look up scholarly journals, to see if there was evidence of this, and there has been RARE cases. A person would have to drink a large amount of water, in very little time. Like a gallon in an hour. I think you are safe with the amount of water you are drinking, because:

1. You are exercising
2. It is drunk throught out the day

About developing diabetes, I had never heard of that. To me, it sounds like a lot of crap. I think you are fine with 3 liters of water, your body needs it to replinish itself.

here's a really helpful article for figuring out how much water to drink if you exercise a lot.  it basically tells you that you should weigh yourself before and after exercise (at approximately the same temp as you usually train in), determine how much (water) weight you've lost, and then you'll know how much you lose during exercise.  the article suggests drinking some of that water while you exercise and some after exercise, in order to replenish your stores.

in general, most sites that i've come across recommend 16-32 oz. per hour of exercise.  2.5 litres is really not a lot at all.  maybe your doctor thought you meant 2.5 gallons?

i don't know about it not being healthy...but i do know that a few months ago, a radio station about an hour away was having a contest called "Hold your Wee for a Wii"..they had the contestants drink a LOT of water..probably gallons..and they couldn't go pee..and of course, one of them died. soo, just don't drink TOO much at a time...and make sure you go pee if you need to. lol

I have a feeling your doctor was a bit confused as someone else said and though maybe you meant 2.5 gallons instead of 2.5 Liters!  Goes to support my theory that most doctors are absolutely CLUELESS.  While being excessively thirsty and drinking a lot of water can be a SIGN of diabetes, it can not CAUSE diabetes.  Diabetes is caused by one of two things depending on the type.  Type 1 diabetes (usually inhereted)  is caused by your body mounting an attack (autoimmune response) on the insulin producing cells in your pancreas.  Therefore, you body doesn't produce enough insulin when needed.  People with type 1 can benefit from insulin injections.  In type 2, your body developes an insulin resistance.  The most common cause of this is obesity, although there are other causes.  However, I can guarantee you too much water IS NOT one of them.  Now, too much water, can cause water toxicity or hyponatremia, a condition in which your bodies electrolytes end up completely out of balance.  A person with this becomes very sick and nauseous, and it can cause death.  The most common way for this to occur is when you are consumming excessive amounts of water while sweating out lots of your bodies salts (i.e. elite atheletes, marathon runners, etc).  To counter this, elite atheletes drink sports drinks such as gatorade to prevent any electrolyte imbalance, but most people exercising should just stick with water as hyponatremia is pretty rare.  It is recommended that you drink small amounts while exercising in line with your thirst.

2.5 liters is not much AT ALL, especially if you are working out, since 2L is ~ 67 ounces, just over the daily recommended amount, while 2.5 liters is ~84 ounces, adding low end of whats recommended for an hour of exercise.  As I said before, I think your doctor is quite confused!

As a former marathoner, you can't drink too much.  On my training days on treadmills, I would routinely drink over a gallon a day and especially during winter months, you will lose more with the lower humidity.  Amen to the previous post, they hit the nail on the head.  I work in a nursing home and the diabetics there didn't become that way by drinking water.

Yeah, if this was true I'd have diabetes and I'd be dead a long time ago.  I drink water daily like its going out of style, hell I drink 2 litres before breakfast...other than constant peeing...it sure makes me feel good to...it also tightens the skin and flushes out your fat cells.  I'd say in a day...(with a workout) Id probably consume 5 ltrs of water at a minimum.

And Im going to follow this up with a question...I can't drink water when I work out because it just sits in my stomach and I feel like junk and cant perform...how unhealthy is this for me...I drink tonnes when Im done working out...I just cant do it during.

- Scott

Original Post by smaxted:

And Im going to follow this up with a question...I can't drink water when I work out because it just sits in my stomach and I feel like junk and cant perform...how unhealthy is this for me...I drink tonnes when Im done working out...I just cant do it during.

- Scott

 

I'm right there with you.  I usually get 2 to 3 liters into myself before I start and I might take a few sips during workout but that's it.  I then usually slam 1.5 liters or so within a few minutes of finishing.  I've been doing it that way for almost a year and I don't have any issues with dehydration symptoms during workout or cardio.  I think of it as money in the bank--if you're already loaded up when you start, it's pretty tough to deplete it in a normal workout routine to the point where you're running dry.

And in response to the original thread, I agree with the majority of the posters--I drink almost two gallons of water a day and god knows how many diet cokes (I can't help it, they COMPLETE me ), and I haven't drowned yet.  Sounds like your sawbones got confused by the metric system. 

 

Original Post by smaxted:

And Im going to follow this up with a question...I can't drink water when I work out because it just sits in my stomach and I feel like junk and cant perform...how unhealthy is this for me...I drink tonnes when Im done working out...I just cant do it during.

- Scott

i have trouble drinking while doing intense cardio as well.  in addition, i don't want to have to stop working out to go to the bathroom every twenty minutes.  so i don't drink beforehand.  i sip for the first "leg" of cardio, gulp for the second "leg."  then i take a bathroom break and drink a bunch.  then i sip for the last "leg" of cardio. 

any excess water, and i can't perform as well.  i just can't breathe.  but i take big gulps when i weight lift.  and i literally drink about 1.5 liters of water in the hour after i leave the gym.  i've never calculated how much i drink, but i'm w/pistolpete21: it's almost definitely over 2 gallons.